1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to advertising displays and, more particularly, to a compact display apparatus for sequentially displaying multiple images formed on a single transparency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of modem display advertising, limitations on advertising budgets and limited locations for display to high densities of potential customers, a great demand has arisen for display advertising which allows for the display of multiple advertisements at one desirable display location to thereby enable a number of advertisers to benefit from the one location. In addition, it is desirable to provide such a device which may be utilized in relatively confined spaces, such as immediately adjacent to the product or products themselves.
Numerous different methods and devices have been proposed for preparing and displaying such advertisements. Many such devices involve relatively unwieldy mechanical elements driven by complex drive mechanisms which tend to be relatively bulky. Thus such devices will typically be relatively large and expensive to manufacture and therefore not suitable for display in relatively confined areas.
Display devices have been proposed which include generally opaque screens formed with aperture patterns defining numbers, letters or figures to be illuminated by a light source behind such screen. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,172,455 to Hildburgh and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,713 to Eckert. However, such devices include no means for sequentially displaying distinct images or advertisements which cover substantially the entire display screen.
There are also prior art devices which include transparent sheets formed with images thereon and which are illuminated by back lighting and cooperate with movable opaque masks including aperture patterns for selectively registering the aperture pattern with one of the images formed on the transparent sheet. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,791 to Apissomian and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,185 to Hasala. These devices are not free from shortcomings, however. In the first place, the devices incorporate relatively complex drive assemblies in order to sequentially align the various images on the sheets with the aperture pattern on the masks. In addition, no means is provided for efficiently adjusting the mask relative to the transparent sheet in the event the mask and sheet are not in proper registration with one another.
Yet another device which includes a translucent image screen comprising a mosaic of discrete images formed by relatively small translucent pixels interlaced and arranged in uniform groups for sequential alignment with an aperture pattern formed on a stationary mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,802 to Atkinson et al., assigned to the assignee of the present application. The device exhibits excellent operational characteristics. However, the device incorporates a drive motor mounted at each of the respective corners of the apparatus for displacing the mosaic relative to the grid mask to sequentially display the discrete images formed on the mosaic. In addition, no means is provided for efficiently adjusting either the mask or mosaic relative to one another in order to conveniently align the mask and mosaic in the event the mask and mosaic are not properly aligned.
Still another prior art device designed for sequentially displaying a plurality of images formed on one sheet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,214 to Peeters, likewise assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The device disclosed in the patent is a low cost, efficient apparatus that provides for the sequential display of multiple high resolution images in a fast and accurate manner. This device, while having been well received commercially is relatively expensive to manufacture and presents some challenge to adjustment and maintenance of alignment.
As such, it will be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a compact display apparatus which is inexpensive to manufacture and allows for efficient manual adjustment in order to maintain the mosaic and mask in proper spatial relation to allow for precise registration of the images on the mosaic with the aperture pattern on the mask as one of the two is displaced relative to the other. The instant invention addresses such needs.